The Three Hunters Hunt Again
by ScribeofHeroes
Summary: A friendly wrestling match turns into teamwork troll hunting.


**I don't own any of Tolkien's stories, characters, or the locations his stories took place in. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only.**

**This story takes place after the destruction of the ring, the crowning or Aragorn, and the settling of Aglarond and Ithilien.**

My men stared with wide eyes for a moment. Then they burst into laughter. They had never seen this before. I only shook my head and chuckled. I _had_ seen this before.

Legolas and Gimli rolled about on the ground. They were trying to pin each other. It was like watching a red-furred bear cub fighting a fawn, but I would never have said so to the dwarf and elf.

Gimli could never beat Legolas at archery and Legolas had no desire to learn how to wield an axe. So, between battles with the enemy, the two had come up with wrestling as the best competition to have with each other. It was always entertaining to observe. The only rule was that neither could use any weapon.

Gimli's limbs were short and difficult to grab. If Legolas did succeed in grabbing Gimli's arms, he risked Gimli taking a hold of his own. Then the dwarf could head-butt him. Dwarves can be living cannon shells at close quarters. If Legolas was free of Gimli's grasp, he was always quick enough to roll out of the way.

Now both had a hold of each other. Legolas was using the momentum of continuous spinning to keep Gimli from doing anything but holding on. Gimli was refusing to let go. It was a struggle to see who would come up on top when they stopped. Even in their rolling they never strayed too far from their weapons. Gimli's axe and Legolas' double-knife sheath lay nearby in the grass.

The earth suddenly shook beneath my feet. I looked up to the top of the hill. A pair of trolls stepped up to its summit. Each was armed with clubs longer than their arms. I cried a warning as they rushed the party.

The rangers grabbed their bows and shot to their feet. The two wrestlers leapt apart. Legolas was the closest to their weapons. He threw Gimli his axe before throwing on the knife sheath. Then both warriors rushed at the charging trolls.

"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" They shouted together.

One troll swung his club at Legolas. The elf ducked nimbly underneath and stabbed the monster in the kneecap. Then he jerked the blade out and rolled between the troll's splayed legs.

The other troll swung at Gimli. The dwarf side stepped. The troll's club only struck earth. As the troll raised his club again, Gimli rushed forward and brought his axe down on one of its giant toes. The troll gave a shout and swung the club at him again. Gimli dashed between the troll's legs. The troll hit his own injured foot. Both warriors were now safely behind the targets.

"Fire!" I shouted. Ithilien's rangers rained arrows upon the trolls. The barrage did not hurt their stone hides more than splinters, but a rain of splinters is not pleasant.

They began to back up. Legolas threw Gimli an end of a Lothlorien rope. Gimli caught it. They both drew the measure of cord taunt. The trolls' feet were tripped and they fell to the earth. With another cry the elf and dwarf leapt at the beasts' heads and finished them.

They were both cleaning the troll blood off their weapons when my rangers and I approached. I was again smiling and shaking my head.

"You pair are making my warriors soft!"

Gimli raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, wearing thin our welcome are we?"

"I would think, mellon nin," Legolas added, "the proper thing to say would be, 'Thank you my friends. The execution of your plan has been the destruction of two of my realm's enemies.'" He flashed me a grin.

During the visit of my fellow two hunters and new kings, a report had come in that some of Gondor's farms were being raided. The raiders left nothing living or shiny behind them. They did leave footprints like Oliphaunts. It did not take a ranger to realize trolls, left over from the war, had grown tired of hiding and not eating well. So, I had taken a group of Ithilien's best rangers and ridden out with them. I would have had to lock Legolas and Gimli in the dungeon to leave them behind.

They had found a common quest in letting no harm come to me. Arwen was exceedingly grateful as were most of our friends, allies, and subjects. I was beginning to feel like more of a throne warmer than a warrior.

Tracking the trolls to their cave had not been difficult. When we arrived, they were well fed and not eager to show themselves. No wise warrior enters a monsters' own den, not unless it is absolutely necessary. We called out insults and oaths against them, hoping to anger them into charging out. They had simply dared us to come in after them. The trolls were full, satisfied, and no more eager to meet their end than any other. We could have had a long wait. Legolas and Gimli had a whispered conversation together and then came to me with their plan.

We made camp just over the ridge of their hole, on the troll's doorstep, so to speak. We then caught, prepared, cooked and ate a meal even filled trolls would be jealous of. The wind blew the scent toward their cave entrance. Not long after the meal, Legolas and Gimli had begun to wrestle. Ithilien's finest rangers and I had sat leisurely back to watch, bows and arrows near at hand.

The trolls had taken the opportunity to avenge themselves upon us. They had died in the taking. No more farmers would lose their stock, nor would Gondor lose more of its farmers, to these particular monsters. None of my men had been killed, wounded, or even come close to harm. Legolas and Gimli were right. I owed them our thanks.

I spoke in Khuzdul while putting my fist to my heart and bowing deeply at the waist. "My deepest gratitude, oh mighty Gimli son of Gloin, Lord of the Glittering Caves."

Then I turned to the elf. "Thank you, Legolas Thrandulion Nazgulsteedsbane," I declared in Sylvan, bowing my head with my hand upon my heart. They and the rangers chuckled.

Legolas sheathed his blades, removed the sheath from his back, and knelt to place it gently on the grass. He kept his eyes on the dwarf the entire time.

"There is now, but one more thing to be done."

Understanding, the dwarf threw away his axe and crouched low.

"RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The elf leapt at his squat opponent.

The dwarf growled as they collided. Once more, Elf and Dwarf, King of the glittering caves and King of the reclaimed woods, were rolling about on the turf. Once more my rangers laughed aloud. I shook my head with a grin.

**One of my wonderful reviewers pointed out that Legolas and Gimli were not the Kings of Ithilien and Aglarond. So I have rewritten this piece to have Aragorn call Gimli by his proper title of "Lord of the Glittering Caves." Rewriting the part about Legolas was more difficult. I could not find a proper title for his role in Ithilien. So I settled on Nazgulsteedsbane, because it is cannon that Legolas shot down a winged steed from underneath a Nazgul , and it sounded funny in the sarcastic tone I was going for. Hopefully, this piece is still just as funny and more cannon.**

**Reviews are much appreciated, read, and often responded to. :)**


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